Cottage cheese- rich, creamy deliciousness that practically goes with any dish you wish. It can be used fresh, or can even be stored in bulk for later use. Can you freeze cottage cheese and how do you freeze it then?
Before you go and buy that stack of cottage cheese on sale, I would like to put forward a few points.
Can You Freeze Cottage Cheese?
Yes, you can. However, there are certain things you need to know before you do that.
Many recipes call for cottage cheese, and while some of them may work with frozen cottage cheese, few others specifically ask for dress cottage cheese. Depending upon the recipe you’re looking to make, you should first check if it will taste well with stored cottage cheese.
In this article, I will include the various ways you can freeze your cottage cheese. How to thaw it and use it in your recipes.
Can You Freeze Cottage Cheese: Things To Keep In Mind
Much like other soft cheese products, cottage cheese doesn’t always freeze the best. Don’t be mistaken, freezing it can extend its shelf life for up to 6 months. But there will always be a chance that your cottage cheese did not hold up its original texture and tastes artificial after defrosting it.
Here are a few things you need to know before you ask can you freeze cottage cheese:
- While freezing cottage cheese, the higher the fat content in the cheese the better it will freeze. Low-fat or zero-fat cottage cheese won’t freeze well at all. Avoid them at all costs.
- Always go for whole fat cottage cheese if you plan on freezing it.
- Frozen cottage cheese cannot be consumed on its own. Even after it has been thawed, the texture change won’t be rich enough to make it the primary ingredient of a dish.
- That being said, there are hundreds of recipes that do not require fresh cottage cheese as a rule. Soups, desserts, breakfast items, appetizers; you name it!
- Frozen and thawed cottage cheese works best when cooked or baked with other ingredients. You most likely won’t be able to serve it as a dip. If that’s okay with you, by all means, freeze it!
I’d say if you have the freezer space, and can grab a good discount deal on cottage cheese at your local store, grab it ASAP!
How To Freeze Cottage Cheese
This is, perhaps, the most important part of the process. Don’t worry though, you can master it in no time!
Things you’ll need:
- Airtight containers/ freezer bags.
- Preferable a marker or label maker.
- Lots of high fat/ full fat/ large curd cottage cheese!
How to freeze cottage cheese:
- Take your cottage cheese and fill it in your freezer bags or airtight containers.
- Eliminate all air before sealing it. I would recommend using freezer bags over any other option since they’re easier to thaw.
- You may also place the cottage cheese containers inside heavy-duty freezer bags and freeze it as it is. The bags will help avoid freezer burn.
- Note down the date you freeze your cheese on. This helps identify how much longer you have before it expires, and also use the older batch first.
Now that you know how you can freeze your cottage cheese, let’s look at the ways you can thaw it.
How To Thaw Frozen Cottage Cheese
Here’s the fun part! Unlike other frozen foods that need a lot of time and dedicated patience to thaw them overnight, and make sure they don’t go bad while thawing, thawing cottage cheese is as easy as a pie!
There are many ways you could approach this. You could take the old fashioned thaw-overnight-in-the-refrigerator route, or you could gradually lower its temperature. You could also use a quick way out!
- Thawing overnight – We are all familiar with this one (although few of us actually remember to do it on time!). All you will need to do is take out your desired number of cottage cheese bags from the freezer and place them in the refrigerator overnight. What this method does is slightly increase the surrounding temperature of your frozen items, but not so much that it will risk going bad.
- Using cold/lukewarm water – If you do not have to defrost your cottage cheese overnight, this could be a good alternative to it. Simply take a bowl of cold or lukewarm water, Do not take hot water. Place your freezer bags in this bowl and wait for 5 minutes. Once the water in your bowl has gone too cold, replace it with lukewarm water again. Doing this will quickly defrost your cottage cheese and also maintain its quality and texture.
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- Using frozen cottage cheese – Forgot to defrost your cottage cheese? No worries! There are many amazing recipes out there that allow you to directly add in your frozen cottage cheese while cooking! When making soups, stews, curries, or even baked goods, directly add your frozen cottage cheese to your dish and you’re good to go! Stir it occasionally and add a few more minutes to its cooking time.
How long can you freeze cottage cheese?
Depends, really. Ideally, you can freeze it for up to six months.
If you are freezing it in the container it came in, add an extra heavy-duty freezer bag and it should stay good for 6 months or so. If freezing directly in a freezer bag, you should use it before 3 months.
Although the cottage cheese container offers a greater shelf life when frozen than freezer bags, I would still highly recommend you to use the latter for your freezing needs. Freezer bags will offer better cottage cheese quality and taste when defrosted, and they will also be easier to thaw.
Recipes That Taste Great With Frozen and Thawed Cottage Cheese:
- This lasagna recipe by NeighborFood.
- Soups, curries, stews, and marinades.
- Creamy sauces that go into pasta, pizzas, and even casseroles.
- Bakes cheesecakes! Try this recipe by The Worktop.
- Smoothies and Icecreams!
- Pancakes!
How To Tell If Your Cottage Cheese Has Gone Bad?
It is rather easy to tell if and when your cottage cheese has gone bad. It is advised you do a taste-test or quality check once you’ve thawed your frozen cottage cheese.
Look for the color of your cheese. A yellowish tinge to your cottage cheese probably means that it might have spoiled.
The smell is another telling factor. Cottage cheese should always smell fresh, and a tangy or sour smell would mean it isn’t good anymore.
Finally, the best way to tell when your cottage cheese has gone bad is through its taste. It will start tasting sour, sometimes even weird. Throw away your cheese if this is the case.
FAQ’s:
Why does my cottage cheese become too dry after freezing?
Freezing cottage cheese will always alter its texture and taste. There is a way to fix it, however. Add some sour cream to your cheese once thawed and it should balance out the dryness.
Can you freeze cottage cheese with its container?
Yes, you can. But it is better to use freezer bags and divide your cheese into smaller sections to defrost later.
Can you freeze cottage cheese twice?
Don’t. If you want to, divide your cottage cheese into smaller divisions while freezing and only defrost as much as you will require. Do not freeze cottage cheese that has already been frozen once, it will severely affect its quality.
Is sour cottage cheese safe to consume?
Cottage cheese isn’t supposed to taste sour. If it does, it has probably gone bad. You can still eat it until its shelf life period, but it is advised you don’t.
Conclusion
You can absolutely freeze cottage cheese. And although it might slightly affect its original texture and quality, there won’t be any major changes. I would recommend following the procedures and doing all the necessary steps right to get the most out of your frozen cottage cheese.
Remember to stick to recipes that ask for cooking or baking your cheese along with other ingredients, and keep an eye on how long you will freeze it for. The sooner you use it, the better it will be!
If you have any further questions, feel free to drop by.
Eva M. Smith is the owner of this website. She is a 4 year old mother of two kids and a professional chef. Eva loves to cook for her family, but being a working mom has a lot of challenges. From squeezing in time to do the groceries to make three meals for the day. Eva knows how challenging cooking can be without a kitchen game plan.
That’s why she perfected techniques of preserving staple ingredients and several foods so that you have something pre-cooked or pre-baked to use for an array of meals. And they do not come short in flavor! And she does not want to sacrifice flavor with convenience. That’s why she is the best person to ask.